Plein Air en Bourgogne

June 11 - 18, 2027

Travel with me to the Burgundy region of France for an intimate, more authentic European experience! Immerse yourself in the perfect artistic environment: an idyllic rural landscape, quintessential French culture and people, extraordinary local wines and celebrated Burgundian cuisine, all in the company of a supportive community of artists.

This will be my second Plein Air en Bourgogne and I’m especially excited to be planning this one for June when the days are long and temperatures ideal for outdoor painting. We’ll be returning to Château de Missery and the warm hospitality of owner Lucy Hawkes and her staff. I am thrilled Chef Laure will once again be preparing our meals with fresh, local, and traditional Burgundian ingredients. Sophie and Bernard will again be transporting and guiding us, introducing us to the history of the area and its regional specialties. We’ll enjoy a private presentation and tasting of Burgundy’s world class wines.

Château de Missery (“Miss-ree”) is an authentic French 18th century château with four 14th century medieval towers. It is surrounded by a moat. We will paint in the gardens and on the grounds of the Château and the surrounding area. We’ll take a short drive on market day to Saulieu, the Côte-d’Or small town renowned for its gastronomy. We’ll go to medieval Vézelay, an historic pilgrimage destination, now a Unesco World Heritage Site. We’ll also visit Beaune, wine capital of Burgundy, and tour the 15th century Hôtel Dieu des Hospices.

Château de Missery is located in quiet, hilly countryside in northeastern Burgundy. Small medieval villages are surrounded by vineyards, mustard fields, grazing Charolais cattle, and a network of rivers and canals. The interior of the Château includes a large, elegant dining room, a paneled sitting room opening onto a wide terrace overlooking the moat, a breakfast room, and an enormous entrance hall with a grand piano. There are seven beautifully designed, spacious bedrooms for guests, each with its own character. Some have ensuite bathrooms, others share. Both bedrooms and bathrooms are high-ceilinged and light-filled with windows overlooking the grounds and beyond.

This trip is an opportunity to experience the plein air painting process. All levels are welcome. Artists may use their preferred medium: pastel, watercolor, gouache, acrylic, pen and ink, and/or mixed media. I will give technical instruction in pastel for those who wish. For those opting to use other media, I will offer individual feedback on technique as well as the universal elements of picture making: compositional design, determining value and color, rendering space, and creating form. I will offer feedback and assistance in developing a personal style. My goal is to create an environment where ideas are shared, information exchanged, and each participant is given support to grow as an artist.

Cost:

There is space for up to 13 guests for the week. Non-painting partners are invited. While painters are working at the Château non-painters can relax there and/or opt for other activities in the area: tennis, golf, fishing, hiking, and cycling (bikes are available to rent by the week or half week).

The fee for this eight day adventure is based on accommodations. There are are limited single, twin, and double rooms available at the Château. The price for a single is €3880; for two painters sharing a twin room the price is €3440 each; for a double room occupied by a painter and a non-painting partner the price is €3880 for the painter and €3240 for the partner.

Click here for the trip registration form. To secure your spot, please sign and return the form along with a deposit of 30% of total due per person. The balance is due no later than ten weeks prior to arrival, April 1, 2027. Cancellation and refund policies are outlined on the registration form.

Included in the fee:

•Plein Air Painting Instruction with Mary Padgett, morning and afternoon sessions at the Château and the surrounding area; evening critiques and discussions.

•7 nights accommodation at the Château, double or single occupancy, with daily freshen up of bedrooms & bathrooms.

•Excursions to Saulieu, Vézelay, and Beaune with van transport and guide services.

•Entry fees to historical sites/museums.

•All meals at the Château, including daily continental breakfast, 5 lunches, and 7 dinners with wine.

•Lunches on excursion days to Vézelay and Beaune.

•A Wine Tasting Introduction to Burgundy and its wines.

•Van transfer to/from Dijon and the Château de Missery.

Not included in the fee are round trip international airfare, transfer to our van meeting site in Dijon*, laundry service, gratuities, art supplies, and other items not specifically mentioned as included. We strongly recommend that you obtain travel insurance.

*Dijon is easily accessible by train from both Paris and Zurich. If you’d like to arrive early or stay in Dijon after the program I will recommend hotels.

Initial Itinerary of what to expect:

11 June, Transfer from Dijon to Château de Missery where our hostess, Lucy Hawkes, will welcome us with an apéritif on the terrace followed by dinner.

12 June, We’ll travel by van a short distance to Market Day in Saulieu. We’ll visit the unique Pompon Museum before returning to Château de Missery for lunch and an afternoon of painting.

13 June, We’ll spend the day at the Château, painting on its extensive grounds that include a park with woods, an organic kitchen garden with an 18th century stone bathing pool at its center, and charming outbuildings.

14 June, Following breakfast we’ll travel by van to Vézelay. We’ll tour this medieval hilltop village and visit its remarkable pilgrimage basilica. We’ll enjoy lunch and painting in and around the village. We’ll add a stop along the way to visit the 12th century castle, Chateau de Bazoches.

15 June, We’ll remain at Château de Missery for painting.

16 June, We will go to Beaune, an historic walled town in the Cote d’Or’s winemaking region and the wine capital of Burgundy. While there we will tour the Hôtel Dieu des Hospices de Beaune. En route we’ll stop at the Château du Clos de Vougeot, the birthplace of Burgundy winegrowing,

17 June, We’ll remain at Château de Missery for painting.

18 June, Depart for Dijon following breakfast.

From Plein Air en Bourgogone 2025:

“Mary, you are amazing at organizing the best trips and the best places to experience the world around us. I can’t thank you enough …..Thank you for a fabulous experience.”

“Gosh it was a wonderful time we had together ….I think there's something about spending a week trying to capture the surroundings in paintings that makes me look harder at things, that gets me in the habit of noticing and experiencing things more deeply……It was also SUCH a great crew to spend a week with - couldn't ask for more!”